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Pa. Unemployment Rate Reaches Post-Recession Low

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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania's payrolls crept to another record high in April, while the unemployment rate inched down to a post-recession low as the labor pool shrank.

The state Department of Labor and Industry said Friday that Pennsylvania's unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of a percentage point to 4.7 percent in April. The national rate is 3.9 percent.

A survey of households found Pennsylvania's civilian labor force contracted by 16,000, falling further below its 2012 record high as employment and unemployment dropped.

A separate survey of employers showed seasonally adjusted non-farm payrolls rose by about 9,000 in April, reaching a record high a bit farther above 6 million.

The biggest gains were in professional and business services and education and health services.

Friday's figures are preliminary and could change.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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